Refrigerator including through-the-door ice service

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator including an ice cube storage receptacle on the inner surface of the freezer door, a passage through the door communicating with the interior of the receptacle and a trap door pivotally mounted on the exterior surface of the freezer door for closing the passage. The trap door carries a delivery tube extending through the passage for picking up ice pieces from the receptacle and delivering the ice pieces to the exterior of the freezer door when the trap door is opened.

llnited States Patent Grimm July 24, 1973 REFRIGERATOR INCLUDINGTHROUGH-THE-DOOR ICE SERVICE [75] Inventor: Bernard J. Grimm,Louisville, Ky.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Louisville, Ky.

22 Filed: May 30, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 257,701

[52] US. Cl. s 62/377, 62/344 [51] Int. Cl. F25c 5/18 [58] Field ofSearch 222/361, 362;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,500,059 3/1950 Burnham222/361 X 3,602,007 8/1971 Drieci 62/344 Primary Examiner-William E.Wayner Attorney-Walter E. Rule et al.

[57'] ABSTRACT A refrigerator including an ice cube storage receptacleon the inner surface of the freezer door, a passage through the doorcommunicating with the interior of the receptacle and a trap doorpivotally mounted on the exterior surface of the freezer door forclosing the passage. The trap door carries a delivery tube extendingthrough the passage for picking up ice pieces from the receptacle anddelivering the ice pieces to the exterior of the freezer door when thetrap door is opened.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING THROUGH-THE-DOOR ICESERVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toa household refrigerator including a freezer compartment containing anice receptacle mounted on the interior surface of the freezer accessdoor and manually-operable means for delivering ice pieces from thereceptacle through the door.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,053-Jacobus et al. and U.S. Pat. No.3,640,088-Jacobus et al. disclose household refrigerators includingexterior ice services including an ice passage in a freezer door andcombination receptacle and dispensing means for delivering batches ofice pieces from the receptacle to the passage. The dispensing means ismotor operated and designed to deliver batches of ice piecesperiodically to the passage during operation of the motor.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,2l2,405-Rose et al. and 2,697,9l8--Comstock discloseexterior ice services in which ice pieces are dispatched directly froman ice maker through a cabinet wall or the cabinet door, the amount ofice available at any one time being limited by the storage capacity ofthe ice makers.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,007-Drieci discloses throughthe door ice servicecomprising a receptacle mounted on the interior surface of a small iceaccess door provided in the main freezer door so that the ice stored inthe receptacle is available 'exteriorly by opening the pivoted iceaccess door without opening the main freezer door.

The present invention is directed specifically to an exterior iceservice combining the advantages of an ice storage receptacle forstoring a relatively large amount of ice pieces with a manually-operableice dispensing means for dispensing small batches of ice, for example,batches of one to four ice pieces exteriorly of the refrigerator,without opening the main freezer door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the illustrated embodimentof the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising'afreezer compartment and a main freezer door for closing the accessopening to the compartment and an ice storage receptacle supported onthe inner surface' of the freezer. door. The freezer door includes apassage communicating with the interior of the receptacle and a pivotedclosure member mounted on the outer surface'of the door for normallyclosing the passage. The closure member includes a tubular ice piecedelivery member carried on its inner surface and extending through thepassage into the receptacle for receiving ice pieces stored in thereceptacle when the closure member is in its closed position. Thetubular member also includes an opening in the bottom forward wallportion thereof for dispensing ice pieces contained therein when theclosure member is moved to its open position. Preferably, there is alsoprovided stop means for limiting the number of ice pieces deliveredduring each opening of the closure member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the accompanyingdrawings: FIG. I is a side elevational view, partly in section, of thefreezer portion of a refrigerator including the ice delivery means ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the door structure shown inFIG. 1 showing the ice delivery means in its dispensing position; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the stop means of the present invention adapted tolimit the number of ice pieces delivered during each operation of thedelivery means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to theaccompanying drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a household refrigeratorincluding a freezer compartment 1 having an access opening at the frontthereof closed by a main freezer door 2. An ice storage receptacle 3 issuitably supported on the inner surface of the freezer door 2, thereceptacle 3 being adapted to store a substantial quantity of icepieces. The receptacle 3 may be manually filled with ice pieces,although preferably ice pieces are supplied to the storage receptacle 3and the receptacle kept filled with ice pieces by a suitable ice maker41 as described in the aforementioned Drieci U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,007 orin Swerbinsky U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,668 both of which patents are assignedto the same assignee as the present invention.

The door 2 includes a relatively small passage 5 extending through thedoor adjacent the bottom wall 6 of the receptacle and communicating withthe interior of the receptacle by means of a coextensive passage 7 inthe wall 9 of the receptacle adjacent the inner surface of the door. Aclosure member in the form of a small trap door 8 mounted on the outersurface of door 2 normally closes the passage 5 and in the illustratedembodiment of the invention this trap door 8 is pivotally supportedalong its upper edge, as indicated at 10, for tilting movement about ahorizontal hinge axis from a normally closed position, as illustrated inFIG. 1 of the drawing, to an open position as illustrated in FIG. 2 ofthe drawing. A handle 11 is provided for convenient opening of the door8.

The ice piece dispensing or delivery means comprises a tubular membergenerally indicated by the numeral 12 suitably supported on the inner orrear surface M of the trap door 8 and extending through the passage 5into the receptacle 3. This tubular member, which may be of anycross-sectional shape but is preferably of a rectangular cross section,is of an arcuate configuration so that as the closure member 8 ispivotally moved between its closed position and its open position aboutits hinge axis 10 the tubular member 12 will clear or move freelythrough the passage 5. Preferably, the outer end of the tubular member12, that is, the end mounted on the inner surface of the closure member8, is provided with a mass of insulating material 16 further heatinsulating the interior of the tube from the ambient air.

The bottom wall or wall portion of the tubular member 12 is providedwith an opening 17 adjacent its outer end for dispensing ice piecescontained in the tubular member when the closure member is in its openposition illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

The tubular member 12 is, of course, of a large enough cross-sectionalsize so that ice pieces stored in the receptacle 3 or contained thereinabove the level of the open inner end of 18 of the tubular member willfreely pass into the tubular member and completely fill it. Preferably,the tubular member is of a length such that it will, on the average,contain a plurality of ice pieces, as for example, three or four icepieces.

When the closure member 8 is pivoted to its open position, the outletopening 17, normally closed by the forward bottom wall section 20 of thereceptacle and by the adjacent wall portion of the passage 5, will beexposed exteriorly so that the ice pieces in the tubular member 12 willflow freely through the passage 17 and into a container (not shown)supported or held below the passage 5.

Preferably, in order to limit the number of ice pieces which will bedispensed during each opening of the closure member, there is provided astop element 25 adapted to engage any excess ice pieces flowing into thetube during the opening of the closure member and to limit the number ofice pieces dispensed through the opening 17. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention, this stop means 25 comprises apolypropylene hinge member having a hinge 26, as illustrated in FIG. 3of the drawing, with one portion of the member, that is the portion 27,secured to the exterior surface of the door and the second portion 29preferably comprising a plurality of fingers 31 normally extending fromthe hinge 26 through the passage above tubular member 7 and slightlyinto the tubular member 12 through a slot 30 provided in the uppersurface of the tubular member at a point adjacent the receptacle wall 9when the closure member 8 is closed. This slot is generally opposite theinner edge 33 of the dispensing opening 17.

To assure operation of the stop during each opening of the closuremember 8, the inner ends 32 of the fingers 31 are angled or bentdownwardly as indicated by the numeral 32 in order to positively extendinto the slot.

When the closure member 8 is in its closed position, the stop means, ormore specifically the end portions 32 thereof, extend only a slightdistance into the tubular member 12, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing,and do not interfere with the passage of ice pieces into the tubularmember. When the closure member 8 is opened, or more specifically duringopening of the closure member 8, forward movement of the tubular member12 causes the fingers 31 to gradually penetrate into the tubular member12. When the slot approaches the vicinity of the hinge 26, the inner orrear edge 33 of the slot positively engages the fingers to cause them topivot about hinge 26 until they assume a generally vertical position, asillustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, when the closure member is fullyopen. Thus, the fingers in moving to this vertical position will engageand trap any additional ice pieces entering the tube during opening ofthe closure member so that they cannot exit through the outlet 17.Thereafter, during closing of the closure member 8, additional icepieces can enter the open end 18 of the tubular member as it is thrustupwardly through the mass of ice pieces contained in the receptacle 3.At the same time, the stop means fingers 31 are gradually pivotedupwardly to their normal or inactive position so that these ice piecescan completely fill the tubular member 12 for storage therein until theclosure member 8 is again opened.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provideda simple, low-cost, manuallyoperable, ice dispensing means adapted todispense small batches of ice, as for example, a batch sufficient tofill a normal drinking glass, from a receptacle adapted to store arelatively large amount of ice pieces.

While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and thatit is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications asfall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim: 5 1. In a refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment and adoor for closing the access opening to said compartment;

an ice storage receptacle supported on the inner surface of said door;

said door having a passage communicating with the interior of thereceptacle;

a closure member mounted on the outer surface of said door for closingsaid passage, said member being pivotally mounted on said door abovesaid passage;

a tubular member carried on the inner surface of said closure member andextending through said passage and opening into said receptacle, saidtubular member having a shape adapted to clear the walls of saidpassages during pivotal movement of said closure member;

said tubular member having an opening in the bottom wall portion thereofintermediate the ends of said member for dispensing ice pieces containedin said tubular member when said closure member is in its open position.

2. A refrigerator according to claim 1 in which said tubular member hasan arcuate shape as the end thereof extends upwardly into saidreceptacle.

3. A refrigerator according to claim 1 in which said tubular member isof rectangular cross-section.

4. A refrigerator according to claim 1 including stop means for limitingthe passage of ice pieces through said tubular member when said closuremember is opened.

5. A refrigerator according to claim 4 in which said tubular member hasa slot in the top surface thereof and said stop means comprises anelement having an end portion extending into said slot and movable to aposition extending across said tubular member when said closure memberis opened.

6. In a refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment and a door forclosing the access opening to said compartment; w

an ice storage receptacle supported on the inner surface of said door;

said door having a passage communicating with the interior of thereceptacle;

a closure member mounted on the outer surface of said door for closingsaid passage, said member being pivotally mounted on said door abovesaid passage;

a tubular member carried on the inner surface of said closure member andextending through said passage and having an end opening upwardly intosaid receptacle, said tubular member having an arcuate shape forclearing the walls of said passages during pivotal movement of saidclosure member;

said tubular member having a discharge opening in the bottom wallportion thereof intermediate the ends of said member and normally closedby the bottom wall of said receptacle for dispensing ice piecescontained in said tubular member when said closure member is in its openposition.

7. A refrigerator according to claim 6 in which said tubular member isof a rectangular cross-section.

3,747,363 6 8. A refrigerator according to claim 7 in which said 9. Arefrigerator according to claim 8' in which said tubular member has aslot in the top wall thereof generally opposite the inner edge of thedischarge opening and a stop means for limiting passage of ice'piecesexdoor and extends through Passage' tends through said slot. 5

stop means is pivotally mounted on the outer surface of

1. In a refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment and a door forclosing the access opening to said compartment; an ice storagereceptacle supported on the inner surface of said door; said door havinga passage communicating with the interior of the receptacle; a closuremember mounted on the outer surface of said door for closing saidpassage, said member being pivotally mounted on said door above saidpassage; a tubular member carried on the inner surface of said closuremember and extending through said passage and opening into saidreceptacle, said tubular member having a shape adapted to clear thewalls of said passages during pivotal movement of said closure member;said tubular member having an opening in the bottom wall portion thereofintermediate the ends of said member for dispensing ice pieces containedin said tubular member when said closure member is in its open position.2. A refrigerator according to claim 1 in which said tubular member hasan arcuate shape as the end thereof extends upwardly into saidreceptacle.
 3. A refrigerator according to claim 1 in which said tubularmember is of rectangular cross-section.
 4. A refrigerator according toclaim 1 including stop means for limiting the passage of ice piecesthrough said tubular member when said closure member is opened.
 5. Arefrigerator according to claim 4 in which said tubular member has aslot in the top surface thereof and said stop means comprises an elementhaving an end portion extending into said slot and movable to a positionextending across said tubular member when said closure member is opened.6. In a refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment and a door forclosing the access opening to said compartment; an ice storagereceptacle supported on the inner surface of said door; said door havinga passage communicating with the interior of the receptacle; a closuremember mounted on the outer surface of said door for closing saidpassage, said member being pivotally mounted on said door above saidpassage; a tubular member carried on the inner surface of said closuremember and extending through said passage and having an end openingupwardly into said receptacle, said tubular member having an arcuateshape for clearing the walls of said passages during pivotal movement ofsaid closure member; said tubular member having a discharge opening inthe bottom wall portion thereof intermediate the ends of said member andnormally closed by the bottom wall of said receptacle for dispensing icepieces contained in said tubular member when said closure member is inits open position.
 7. A refrigerator according to claim 6 in which saidtubular member is of a rectangular cross-section.
 8. A refrigeratoraccording to claim 7 in which said tubular member has a slot in the topwall thereof generally opposite the inner edge of the discharge openingand a stop means for limiting passage of ice pieces extends through saidslot.
 9. A refrigerator according to claim 8 in which said stop means ispivotally mounted on the outer surface of said door and extends throughsaid passage.